INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., Dec. 19, 2011 – 2011 World all-around champion Jordyn Wieber of DeWitt, Mich./Gedderts’ Twistars USA, and 2011 World all-around finalists John Orzoco of the Bronx, N.Y./U.S. Olympic Training Center, and Aly Raisman of Needham, Mass./Brestyan’s American Gymnastics, have accepted invitations to compete in the 2012 AT&T American Cup, March 3, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The AT&T American Cup, a part of the International Gymnastics Federation’s all-around World Cup series, kicks off the Olympic year for USA Gymnastics and showcases the top gymnasts from the United States and around the world.
"The AT&T American Cup has such a great tradition and this year is going to be no exception," said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. "All of the athletes know what it means to compete in this event, particularly in an Olympic year. Jordyn, Aly, and John have an incredible year ahead of them, and kicking it off in Madison Square Garden will be quite exciting."
Invitations to compete are based on the all-around standings from the 2011 World Championships, and the international gymnasts in the field will be announced in early 2012.
Wieber and Raisman are veterans of the AT&T American Cup, the most prestigious international invitational held in the United States. Wieber has won the American Cup twice, 2009 and 2011. Raisman has also competed in two American Cups, finishing second in 2010 and third in 2011. At the 2011 World Championships, Wieber became the sixth U.S. woman to claim the all-around gold medal, and she also earned the balance beam bronze medal. Raisman just missed the all-around medal podium with her fourth place finish and went on to claim the floor exercise bronze. Both Wieber and Raisman helped the USA to the women’s World team gold medal. Orozco, competing in his first World Championships, finished fifth in the all-around rankings and advanced to the horizontal bar finals.
Ticket prices range from $29.50-$225 and may be purchased charge by phone at 866-858-0008; online at www.thegarden.com; at all Ticketmaster outlets; at the Madison Square Garden Box Office; or through participating area gymnastics clubs. In recognition of Visa’s long-time support of USA Gymnastics, Visa is the preferred method of payment. For more information, go to www.attamericancup.com.
The AT&T American Cup has been staged 11 times at Madison Square Garden and this is the sixth time New York has hosted the event in an Olympic year. Madison Square Garden was the site of the inaugural American Cup in 1976 when the USA’s Bart Conner and Romania’s Nadia Comaneci won the all-around titles. Madison Square Garden played host to this event in 1976-80, 1982-84, 2004 and 2008. Some of the best-known and loved names in gymnastics won the event during its time at Madison Square Garden, including Kurt Thomas, Peter Vidmar, Mary Lou Retton, Carly Patterson, Paul Hamm, Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin, along with Conner and Comaneci.
The USA swept the titles at the 2011 AT&T American Cup –Wieber won the women’s title (her second), and Jonathan Horton of Houston/Team Hilton HHonors, won the men’s competition to bring his total American Cup titles to three.
Past sites for the American Cup include: New York City (1976-80, 1982-84, 2004, 2008); Ft. Worth Texas (1981, 1996-98); Indianapolis, Ind. (1985); Fairfax, Va. (1986-90, 2003); Orlando, Fla. (1991-94, 2000-02); Seattle, Wash. (1995); St. Petersburg, Fla. (1999); Uniondale, N.Y. (2005); Philadelphia (2006); Jacksonville, Fla. (2007, 2011); Hoffman Estates, Ill. (2009); and Worcester, Mass. (2010).
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